This specification relates to data communications.
Service providers utilize distributed networks to provide services to customers over large geographic areas. For example, communications companies utilize a distributed communications network to provide communications services to customers. Similarly, power companies utilize a network of power lines and meters to provide power to customers throughout a geographic region and receive data back about the power usage.
These service providers are dependent on proper operation of their respective networks to deliver services to the customers and receive data back regarding the services provided. For example, the service provider may want access to daily usage reports to efficiently bill their customers for the resources that are consumed or otherwise utilized by the customers. Therefore, it is important for data specifying resource utilization and other information to be reliably transmitted and/or received at specified intervals.
In power line communication (PLC) networks, endpoints (e.g., meters, load control switches, remote service switches, and other endpoints) in the network can provide updated information (e.g., power consumption information and/or operating status information) to a network management apparatus by transmitting data over power lines. Each endpoint that communicates over a particular PLC network can be implemented to communicate over a different specified channel, such that each endpoint in that PLC network communicates over a different channel. However, endpoints in neighboring PLC networks may communicate over the same or nearby channels. Therefore, it is possible that communications received over a particular channel of a PLC network may actually be communications transmitted by a neighboring endpoint in a neighboring PLC network that were coupled into the PLC network. If these communications are not identified as being from the neighboring endpoint, they might be improperly logged.